Cirrhosis

Definition

End-stage liver disease with extensive scarring—basically, your liver has been abused so much it's giving up and turning into scar tissue. Not reversible, and it's bad news.

Example Usage

The patient's liver biopsy confirmed cirrhosis with portal hypertension and evidence of varices.

Origin

From Greek 'kirrhos' (orange-yellow, the color of the scarred liver)

Fun Fact

Alcohol causes 50% of cirrhosis cases, hepatitis C causes 30%, and fatty liver disease is increasingly responsible.

Source: Hepatology; Gastroenterology standards

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flora

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